Registration & Records
The UW SOM Registration and Records team is here to help you schedule your courses and keep you on track to meet your degree requirements.
Please see below for information on specific topics.
Have questions? Ask us! somreg@uw.edu
Coming soon!
Click for information about these Patient Care Phase topics:
Patient Care Scheduling: Spring 2026 – Winter 2027
Patient Care Schedule Changes – Not Step Related
Elective Scheduling: Spring 2026 – Winter 2027
Click for information based on your current status:
Students needing to schedule E&F courses for fourth year (on cycle MS3 / off cycle MS4)
Away Rotation Scheduling 2025-2026
Registration & Curriculum held a VSLO webinar on Thursday, January 23, 2025 at 6pm Pacific. Please view the below webinar and slide deck.
QUICK RESOURCES:
Away Rotations Webinar 2025 – 2026 Slide Deck
Away Rotation 2025-2026 Recorded Webinar
SUMMARY OF THE AWAY ELECTIVE PROCESS
What is an away rotation? Who can take these?
Away rotations — also called away electives, aways, or visiting electives — are short-term courses typically offered at teaching hospitals that are either an AAMC-member institution or have at least one Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA)-accredited program.
Students who have completed their required Patient Care clerkships may take away rotations.
Should I take an away rotation?
This decision is based on a variety of factors, including your desired specialty, your level of certainty about that specialty, personal factors, etc. Your Specialty Career Advisor can help you determine the best answer for your situation, while your UWSOM Career Advisor can answer general questions about Away rotations. For more information about Aways in the context of specialty exploration and residency application, visit the UWSOM Career Advising Away page.
Am I required to take an away elective?
No. Away electives are not required to graduate.
Can away rotations count toward graduation requirements?
Yes! Away rotations may count for up to four weeks of elective credit toward graduation requirements if approved (see below).
How do I find and apply for an away rotation?
Use the AAMC’s Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) Program
Many – perhaps most – US medical schools, teaching hospitals, and health systems use a centralized application service called the Visiting Student Learning Opportunities Program (VSLO)
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- Find participating institutions – also called host institutions – here.
- Away electives being offered by participating institutions are listed here.
- A great starting point for students who are new to navigating the VSLO system can be found here , a step-by-step guide to VSLO is here, and FAQs may be found here.
- You can sign into VSLO here.
- For VSLO assistance: call (202) 478-9878 or contact them online.
Apply Directly to Non-VSLO Programs
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- If a medical school, teaching hospital, or health system does not use VSLO, go to the institution’s website to research visiting elective opportunities and to find application instructions.
- You may also find the Extramural Electives Compendium (EEC) helpful for locating non-VSLO programs.
How Do I Get Credit for an Away Elective?
THIS IS IMPORTANT:
Your acceptance of a visiting elective does not automatically add it to your schedule or enroll you in it for credit at UW SOM. You are responsible for making sure any away elective (VSLO, non-VSLO, military, international) gets added to your schedule.
THE DETAILS OF HOW TO RECEIVE CREDIT FOR AN AWAY ROTATION ARE HERE. Read and follow directions carefully.
A summary of steps is here.
Visiting Institution Requirements
Host institutions vary in their requirements for visiting students. You may be asked for some, all, or one of the following:
| REQUIREMENT | HOW TO MEET REQUIREMENT |
|---|---|
| Compliance Requirements: Background Check Basic Life Support (BLS) Drug Testing HIPAA Training Mask Fit OSHA Training | Some institutions request compliance documents be uploaded directly by UWSOM. The Compliance department will monitor and upload documentation on your behalf that is required from UWSOM automatically. Some institutions request that you upload your own compliance documents. If so, go to your eValue personal record to locate these documents and upload. You may also download documents from your Castlebranch UW71 Compliance Tracker or your UX54 Immunizations Tracker accounts. Questions? somcompl@uw.edu |
| Curriculum Vitae (CV) | Review the Career Advising CV resources and make updates using the template provided. |
| Immunizations | If you need to upload your immunization record: Follow the instructions here. See the FAQ section under "Immunization Records are required for my clinical site/employer/provider. How do I obtain a copy?" Communicate with the Health Sciences Immunization Program (HSIP) at myshots@uw.edu if you need to update any records in your CastleBranch accounts. If you need us to sign a form: Fill out your name/clerkship info on the form, then email the PDF to somcompl@uw.edu. SOM Compliance will verify by accessing your CastleBranch account, sign the form, and return the form to you. |
| Letter of Good Standing (LOGS) | For LOGS requests from a VSLO institution that SOM needs to upload: We are usually automatically notified of the need for this in VSLO and will upload as requested. For LOGS you upload -or- LOGS for nonVSLO programs: Email somreg@uw.edu with the addressee name, title, physical address, and email. |
| Letter of Recommendation (LOR) | Complete a Request for Letter of Recommendation and give it to your letter writer. |
| Personal Health Insurance | Since UWSOM does not require personal health insurance, you will need to provide that proof if requested by a host institution. |
| Personal Statement/Statement of Interest | Review Career Advising's personal statement resources for assistance. |
| Transcript Note: Want us to upload an updated transcript? Follow the same steps. | Order an electronic official transcript. Once logged in to Parchment (the service that provides UW transcripts), set the Delivery Destination as follows: 1. Click "I'm sending to myself or another individual" 2. Select the icon for "Electronic: Delivered by Email" 3. Enter recipient information as follows: >>>> UWSOM >>>> somreg@uw.edu >>>> somreg@uw.edu 4. Click continue. SOM Registration will upload your transcript once we receive it. IMPORTANT: Do not order a printed and mailed transcript as these cannot be legibly uploaded. Tip: Check your unofficial transcript FIRST to ensure it is accurate and up to date. |
| USMLE Step Score Report | Some programs will accept the score report that you received from the NBME. If they require an official score report transcript from the NBME, visit the USMLE website for instructions. Note: We are prohibited by the NBME from reporting/releasing scores. |
You matched – congratulations! Let the deluge of paperwork begin! You may have already received requests from your residency program for forms, transcripts, diploma copies, or letters verifying your expected graduation. The information linked below explains the timeline, gives direction on how to request the most common types of documents, and answer some FAQs about this paperwork. Because documents and instructions vary by state and program, it is especially important that you read carefully.
Please note that you will need to be registered for Transition to Residency (TTR) before any residency paperwork/letters can be generated.